The Week Junior - USA (2021-11-12)

Animals and the environment

November 12, 2021 •The Week Junior 11

Brainy birds need special care

Weddell seals

A new study estimates there are

about 202,000 female Weddell

seals in Antarctica. Previous

estimates had put the number

at 800,000. Experts hope the

new number resulted from a

more accurate count and not a

steep drop in the population.

Cheetah cub

A cheetah cub was moved from

the Smithsonian’s National Zoo

in Washington, DC, to a new

cheetah family at the Wildlife

Safari in Winston, Oregon, after

it was abandoned by its mother.

The cub is reportedly fi tting in

well with its new foster family.

Do you have a question for a zookeeper? Send it to [email protected]. Find out

more about the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance at sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org.

“How do koalas sleep so

much?” Freddy, 11, Connecticut

Koalas sleep a lot because the

eucalyptus leaves they live o

are low in nutritional value.

Sleeping helps them conserve

their energy. Koalas fi nd the

perfect spot on a tree where a

branch and the tree’s trunk

make a lowercase Y shape, then

sleep for 18 to 20 hours a day.

OSIZE: 3 pounds and just under 6 inches long

OLIFE SPAN: 5 to 10 years in the wild

ODIET: Mainly insects and snails

OHABITAT: Grassland, shrubland, and woods

OFUN FACT: Cane toads were introduced to

Australia in 1935.

Cane toad hatchlings in Australia are evolving to

develop into tadpoles quickly, to avoid being

eaten by other cane toad tadpoles. The tadpoles

began to eat their young because too many cane

toads are relying on the same limited resources.

Rick Schwartz

Wildlife ambassador,

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

ON THIS PAGE: GETTY IMAGES (5); ON LEFT PAGE: RAJO ADOLPHE LANDRY ANDRIANIAINA/TURTLE SURVIVAL ALLIANCE; GETTY IMAGES (3)

A

new study has shed light on the

challenges parrots with large brains

face in captivity. Birds such as Nanday

parakeets, monk parakeets, the blue and

yellow macaw, and some cockatoos need

stimulation for their minds.

The study’s lead author, Georgia

Mason, recommends giving pet parrots

puzzles or housing them outside or with

other parrots. “Some compare parrots to

small children—it seems they really do

need lots of interaction and chances to

learn,” Dr. Mason said.

The study also found that feeding

parrots, especially those with large brains,

a diet of processed foods could lead them

to pluck, chew, or eat their own feathers.

Instead, they should be given a diet that

resembles what they would eat in the wild,

like nuts and seeds.

About half of the world’s parrots, about

50 million birds, now live in some form of

captivity. “Some species seem to adapt well

to captivity, but maybe some should not be

kept unless you have lots of time and

creativity,” said Dr. Mason.

Cane toad

Animal

week

of the

A monk parakeet

AS

KA

Z

O

OK

EEP

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Good week/ Bad week

FUN FACT
Parrots have four toes—
two pointing forward
and two pointing
backward.